What is a Hyperbaric Chamber? Taking a Closer Look at the Machine Victor Wembanyama Uses

Joseph Galizia | 19/02/2025
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) looks up in the second half against the LA Clippers at Frost Bank Center.

Rehabilitation is an essential journey for all athletes, especially in the NBA. Over the years medical facilities have come up with new innovative ways for a player’s body to heal faster. This now includes a Hyperbaric chamber — a recovery technique that even the top NBA names are exploring.

This Hyperbaric chamber was mentioned in the new Netflix series Court of Gold, which explores the basketball tournament from the 2024 Paris Olympics. In episode two, NBA superstar Rudy Gobert can be seen coming from the Chamber — and conversed with fellow French teammates Evan Fournier and Victor Wembanyama about it.

“Do you really feel a difference?” Fournier asked. Gobert told him yes. This prompted Wembanyama to reveal his daily use of the Chamber during a summer when he was badly banged up.

“There was one summer, I had gotten injured so I did it a lot. I recovered really well. Maybe three or four times a week,” he said. When Fournier asked for how long Wemby responded, “One hour I’d say.”

What exactly is the Hyperbaric Chamber?

The Hyperbaric chamber is a pressurized room that allows patients to breathe in 100% pure oxygen at a higher-than-normal atmospheric pressure. This helps heal wounds, reduce inflammation, repair damaged tissue, and treat certain medical conditions.

Athletes specifically have taken a liking to the chamber since it shortens their recovery time and can improve elements like fatigue, a big one for NBA players. It also allows them to experience less pain and stiffness, which helps them immensely when doing physical training.

Some of the top athletes in the world use the Hyperbaric Chamber

LeBron James made the use of ‘unconventional’ yet technologically advanced methods of recovery popular to the masses. A hyperbaric chamber is something he’s sworn by for years on end.

Aside from NBA superstars, other marquee athletes have used oxygen therapy, specifically the Hyperbaric Chamber, as their recovery method. This includes tennis legend Serena Williams, soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo, famed Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps, and seven-time NFL Super Bowl winner Tom Brady.

Post Edited By: Samir Mehdi
Hyperbaric chamber Rudy Gobert Victor Wembanyama

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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